Space satellites either alone or in constellations provide a variety of communication services to subscribers. As subscribers demand more bandwidth and connectivity to support increases in voice, video, and data communications, there is an associated need for more satellite communication systems. Also, with increased efforts to explore and exploit space, there is a need for delivery of a variety of payloads to orbiting space stations and beyond. The existing launch systems that place communication satellites and other payloads into space are primarily expendable vehicles.
The few known reusable systems are not suitable for cost-effective, reliable, and frequent launch services. For example, the space shuttle is a manned reusable vehicle that places large payloads into space, and returns a winged orbiter to the ground for reuse. This manned operation is extremely expensive, complex, and not sized or priced for frequent and cost-effective launches of small to medium-sized payloads, such as communication satellites or space station supplies.
Other systems, such as weapon delivery systems, return portions of a space vehicle through an atmospheric re-entry to the ground. However, these systems are not designed for reuse. Still other systems rely on complex control methodologies that employ wings, movable control surfaces, and powered flight to control the vehicle during re-entry.